1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image diagnosis support apparatus, an image diagnosis support method and an image diagnosis support program in which a three-dimensional medical image is displayed to support diagnosis.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, medical image display techniques advanced in medical fields. In the medical image display techniques, a three-dimensional medical image reconstructed from plural sets of imaging image data obtained by imaging by an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, a CT apparatus or an MRI apparatus, and a medical imaging apparatus, such as a PET, is displayed to support image diagnosis performed in medical fields. In such image diagnosis support techniques, a technique for visualizing a detail of a desired region in a three-dimensional medical image to satisfy the purpose of diagnosis has been drawing attention.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-169120 (Patent Document 1) discloses a method for generating a result image of an anatomical structure to be examined. In Patent Document 1, a target structure in tomographic image data is obtained based on a set purpose of diagnosis, and an anatomical standard model corresponding to the target structure is selected, and the anatomical standard model is automatically matched with the target structure in the tomographic image data. Further, the tomographic image data are segmented based on the standard model, and all voxels in a partial model of the standard model are selected in the tomographic image data, thereby generating the result image visualizing the anatomical structure to be examined separated into each partial model.
However, in the method of Patent Document 1, the anatomical structure is separated only at a contour of a partial model that has been set in advance, and displayed. Therefore, it has been impossible to flexibly separate and display the anatomical structure to be diagnosed based on a desirable position required for the purpose of diagnosis. Therefore, in some cases, it was impossible to display an image that was appropriately separated for the purpose of diagnosis, such as diagnosis of an abnormal shadow. It was impossible to separately display a region that was not modeled by a partial model and the like. Further, it was necessary to manually specify a separation position for each partial model through a GUI (graphic user interface). Therefore, especially when plural anatomical structures are present in a three-dimensional image, an operation for separate display was complicated.